Front Page
Context
The Front Page is an obscure Animal Man foe, seen once in 1990 during the Peter Milligan run.
But the visuals sure as distinctive (they resemble the Word’s, but better).
Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed, presumably single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile.
- Height: 5’10” Weight: 160 lbs.
- Eyes: Black Hair: None
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Powers and Abilities
The Front Page had decent fighting ability for a street thug. But not enough to keep from being easily defeated by stuntman Buddy Baker. This is even though Baker did not use his Animal Man powers in their brief brawl.
History
The Front Page worked as a third-rate superhero in an alternate DC Universe. Having no abilities of note, his heroic career went nowhere. He eventually ended up making porn films along with his partners the Notional Man and Nowhere Man.
Nowhere Man loved the idea of doing porno. But he hated the low-quality films they were making, so he split with the cash. The Front Page and the Notional Man caught up with Nowhere Man while he was teamed up with Buddy Baker a.k.a. Animal Man on a Presidential protection detail.
A bar fight ensued. Animal Man, who was suffering from fits of atavistic rage due to a mental disorder at the time, crushed the Front Page’s skull with the Page’s own weapon.
The print on the Front Page’s body naming Animal Man as his killer remained after his death. So Nowhere Man and Animal Man tattooed over the print before dumping the body outside a hospital.
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Description
The Front Page looks like a mummy wrapped in strips of newsprint with shifting headlines instead of cloth. The headlines constantly change to reflect the Front Page’s thoughts and his current circumstances.
The headlines are not under the Front Page’s conscious control. Even when he was unconscious and dying of a fatal head wound, the headlines continued to update the Front Page’s condition and name Buddy Baker as his killer. These words remained on the Front Page’s skin when he died.
He speaks in the same “headline” style as the messages that appear on his skin and weapons.
The Front Page sometimes wears a trenchcoat and fedora when he’s trying to go unnoticed in public.
Personality
The Front Page is a typical thug. Like a lot of half-way bright brutes he tried finding a socially-acceptable outlet for his thuggery, in his case by playing at being a superhero.
When Nowhere Man took off with the money their group had earned from making porn films, the Front Page was homicidally enraged. Enough so that he was willing to attempt to murder Nowhere Man in public.
Quotes
“No mercy for ex-circus freak doublecrosser ! He broke our hearts when he stole our cash says onetime best friend.”
The following are some of the headlines that appeared on the Front Page’s body during the fight with Nowhere Man and Animal Man:
“Nowhere Man gets it ! Painful death for double-crossing freak !”
“Front Page hit from behind ! ‘Who is it ?’ asks stumped hero.”
“FRONT PAGE CLOBBERED ! ‘Uhnn…!’ says hero. Bestial Buddy at it again !”
“FRONT PAGE DEATH-WATCH ! Page obit: That’s all she wrote !”
DC Universe History
This sordid loser could be encountered singly as a low-level street thug. Or as the henchman of any number of organized crime figures that like highly visible enforcers.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
The Front Page
| Dex: 04 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Mercenary |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 03 | Min: 03 | Occupation: Superhero/porn star |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 010 | HP: 010 |
Skills:
Weaponry (Melee, Missile)*: 04
Connections:
Notional Man (High), Porn Industry (Low).
Drawbacks:
Strange Appearance.
Equipment:
Heavy Metal Newspaper [BODY 08, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 07), Descriptor: Slashing, bludgeoning].
This melee weapon looked like a rolled-up newspaper and was said to be “capable of decapitating a man at 20 paces” when thrown by the Front Page. It could also elongate slightly and extend a small axe blade for use in close combat.
The newspaper had the same trait that the Front Page’s skin did ; when the Front Page tossed it through a window at Nowhere Man, the headline “Nowhere Man butchered in revenge slaying! Stole pals’ loot.” was clearly visible upon it.
Previous statistics
The Front Page had a Low Connection to Nowhere Man until Nowhere Man stole the money from their films.
Source of Character: Animal Man #28 (DC Comics).